Retro - Whitchurch Alport 1 Litherland Remyca 1 (North West Counties League Division One - 2015-16)

7^th October 2015

Whitchurch Alport   1  Litherland Remyca  1  (North West Counties League Division One)

Sometimes you arrive at a new ground and think ‘yes’, and that’s because you instantly realise that you have landed at what I would term as a proper football ground. By that, what I mean is your first and overriding impression is that you have uncovered something traditional, something unique, and not in any way one of the all too commonplace modern efforts with characterless furniture and structures.

Whitchurch Alport fell very much into that category, it felt traditional, it felt and looked unique in the sense that you won’t find another one like it anywhere else, I knew I was at a proper ground, and I also knew that whatever the game threw up, I would enjoy my evening.

Whitchurch were a relatively late addition to the list this season. They didn’t initially apply for promotion from the Mercian League to Step Six, but then put in a last minute application. The application was rejected for a variety of reasons, but then when it came to light that the Football Association had adopted a policy of double standards by allowing clubs into Step 6 who had almost identical backgrounds, notably in Kent, then it became clear that Whitchurch’s inevitable appeal would be upheld and they would be accepted into the North West Counties League.

The truth is, for a town of its size, a ground of its quality, and a club of Alport’s stature, it was criminal that they should be floundering in the Mercian League no mans land. Finally, they were going to be at a level they should at least be competing at.

Whitchurch isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially when you are travelling from Doncaster. The A50 to Stoke, especially around Uttoxeter is a pinch point, while the A500 once in Stoke is far from ideal at rush hour. You then have to trot through various villages of Staffordshire and indeed Shropshire to get to Whitchurch, which in fairness, is not too far from the Welsh border, and would explain why in years gone by they have competed in the Welsh Cup! Talking of Wales, I did wonder whether I could have got to Haverfordwest quicker!

Once parked up on the road outside the ground, and having walked down to the turnstiles, I was impressed. They had proper turnstiles, they had a wonderful old wooden stand on one side with some recently built cover opposite. They had a clubhouse and tea bar adjacent to the stand, while the only sense of modernity were the floodlights that are a recently installed four pylon variety as is now becoming commonplace. I was delighted to see that not a single Meccano/Atcost stand was in situ anywhere on the Yockings Park site, it was indeed a breath of fresh air.

This was Whitchurch’s first game under lights in the North West Counties League, and as a result the great and the good from the Football Travelling community were in attendance. I chatted to Andy Marnoch and Nick Willis in particular, gents from Uxbridge and Stoke, but in fairness of a crowd of 86, I would estimate 20/30 would have been of a neutral persuasion. The club were I suspect, expecting something of an influx of hoppers, so everything was catered for, food, drink, programmes, and even free copies of a North West Non-League Football magazine. The welcome was also very friendly, and the club were genuinely appreciative of the fact they had generated so much interest.

It was a chilly evening, and the pitch was a touch bobbly, so as is often the case, the game didn’t really inspire. Whitchurch were well organised, but so far without a win all season, whereas Litherland were having a better season and looked to have a bit more in the fire power department, combined with the all too predictable Liverpudlian ‘edge’ that is as much reality as it is stereotypical.

The game was 0-0 at half time, and two late goals saw it finish 1-1, probably a fair result, and at the same time, it meant Whitchurch were still without a win and added to their substantial number of draws.

The journey back was straightforward and uneventful, but whereas some evening returns from games can be a bit of a chore, this wasn’t, and I think it was probably because I was content in the knowledge that I’d uncovered a bit of a gem.

Retro - Rhayader Town 0 Holyhead Hotspur 4 (Cymru Alliance - 2015-16)

19^th September 2015

Rhayader Town   0  Holyhead Hotspur  4  (Cymru Alliance)

As I threw the curtains wide at the Boars Head, it was a misty morning in Carmarthen, but the bacon was cooking, and in fairness, only the slightest traces of any form of hangover seemed to be in the air. It was almost time to bid a fond farewell to West Wales, and head up through the mountains to Mid Wales, to the picturesque market town of Rhayader.

Any sort of journey through Wales will invariably be a scenic one, perhaps sections of the M4 and the A55 excepted, and the run up to Rhayder was indeed beautiful. This is of course the double edged sword that is in effect the Welsh Premier League, because as much as journies between the grounds are lovely from an aesthetic point of view, in terms of the time taken for the distance travelled, it really could not be any worse. It took me nearly an hour and three quarters to drive just over 50 miles to Rhayader, but the section between Llandovery and Llanwrtyd Wells alone made it worth the journey, simply spectacular views across the valleys towards Sugar Loaf mountain.

Once in Rhayader I was early, inevitably, so having parked the car up at the ground I had a little wander into the town itself. It was a busy place, with the focal point being the monument on the crossroads in the centre. Not much shopping wise could be done, I guess if you want anything of any note then off to Newtown or Llandrindod Wells you must go, just the essentials really in Rhayader.

Talking of essentials, the pubs were open, and I settled for the GBG listed Cornhill Hotel, where a lengthy perusal of the sports pages of the local paper (The County Times) told me all I needed to know about current affairs in the Mid Wales footballing World, it put many local papers to shame really.

With kick off an hour away, it was time to embark on the final journey of a quest that started back in August 2008 when I discovered my first game in the Cymru Alliance, on that occasion it was at Gresford Athletic. I probably thought at the time it wouldn’t take me too long to polish it off, and I guess each year new teams come in that need visiting, but this time, seven and a half years later, for the first time ever I can say I’ve done it!

And boy, I didn’t half save the best until last!

A combination of a traditional old football ground, with good yet rustic facilities, along with spectacular views of the mountains, meant this was a place that is a real must for any football ground enthusiast. I simply loved it. The clubhouse was somewhat antiquated and the beer was in cans only, they did no hot food, but that didn’t really matter to me. The old stand backed onto the tight dressing rooms, while another smaller seated stand sat behind the goal, some distance from the pitch.

The two other sides were hemmed in tightly by tall trees, and it was over the top of these trees that the stunning vista of the mountains could be observed. Rhayader are nicknamed the Red Kites, thanks to the fact that the town is now well known for it’s Red Kite feeding station, and as an added bonus, just after half time, numerous birds of this type could be seen hovering above the ground. While not the biggest of birds, as they hovered in the sky, they did look pretty special.

The game was very good. Rhayader for an hour were the equal of Holyhead, but when you are bottom of the league things simply don’t happen for you. Despite all of their first half possession, it was the visitors who went in with a 1-0 lead thanks to a great strike from the edge of the box.

Both sides had a player sent off early in the second period for a ‘rutting’ incident, which seemed to go against Rhayader because at this point they had the lions share of play again, and looked likely to grab an equaliser. But the player they lost, Asa Hamilton, was the man most threatening for the hosts, and with his departure (and he didn’t go quietly), went any semblance of a goal.

Holyhead got a second, and then quickly got two more to seal an emphatic victory. It wasn’t a 4-0 game, but sadly for Rhayader, while they played some decent stuff, they definitely lacked something in front of goal. Hamilton looked like he could make a difference, but he was too distracted by the various battles he was involved in. That ultimately resulted in his red card.

I hope Rhayader survive, I chatted to the Treasurer who was working the tea bar, he told me that they had increased the ‘expenses’ budget this season to try and attract players from slightly further afield to keep them in the league. And therein lies the problem for Mid Wales clubs, and perhaps explains why last season both Llanidloes and Llandrindod went down, with Rhayader only just surviving. The towns themselves are so small, and travelling time from the greater areas of population is significant, so attracting the better players to travel and play for you is going to cost money. Hamilton for example, was travelling from Wrexham, which is an hour and three quarters away, it’s a long way to go, especially when he has a significant number of clubs on his doorstep, mind you, they’re probably all sick of him!

So that was it, a champagne job, I’ve now completed leagues in three Countries (England, Ireland and Wales), with a fourth due next month (Northern Ireland). I have to say though, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of visiting Wales, just a case now of seeing who else comes into the league at the end of the season...if no one does, I’ll just have to find a new league to have a crack at.

The Mid Wales League anyone? 

Retro - Carmarthen Town 0 Aberystwyth Town 3 (Welsh Premier League - 2015-16)

18^th September 2015

Carmarthen Town   0  Aberystwyth Town  3  (Welsh Premier League)

“And we were singing, Hymns and Arias, Land of my Fathers, Ar Hyd Y Nos”

That was the song that was running through my head as the M4 swept past Neath and around the edges of Swansea. Of course, watch any Swansea City game on the TV and you will hear it loud and clear, but for those not of a Welsh persuasion, you would be forgiven for thinking that it was some hymn of old that had been resurrected at the Liberty Stadium.

Not at all, very much like the Irish “Fields of Athenry”, “Hymns and Arias” is quite a modern song and only over a more recent era has it found it’s way to the football terraces. The song itself was penned by Max Boyce and was originally about Welsh rugby fans making the bi-annual pilgramage to Twickenham for the international. To be fair, it is actually a humourous effort, that has seen the man himself create further different versions to celebrate varying occasions over recent years, such as the hosting of the Rugby World Cup and Swansea being promoted to the Premier League.

I found myself singing it in the car as the first signs for Carmarthen appeared up ahead, the long journey was almost over. I decided at the back end of last season that I was going to complete the Welsh Premier League, and at the time the only ground I needed was Carmarthen Town. However, due to a somewhat unusual final day result for Haverfordwest County, they were promoted ahead of Cardiff Met University from the Welsh Football League, which meant two trips to West Wales as opposed to the one.

The plan was simple, do one on a Friday, the other on a Saturday and the job will be done on one trip! Not so, Haverfordwest is another 45 minuntes on from Carmarthen, and Carmarthen is almost four hours from home, the footballing fixture Gods were not so kind and as it turned out I was not going to be able to double them up. Haverfordwest will have to wait for another day.

But, with my final Cymru Alliance ground, at Rhayader Town, playing on the Saturday, it was certainly a trip worth making on a Friday, and gave me the opportunity to spend some time in Carmarthen, an area of Wales I have not visited since I was a very small child taking holidays in Saundersfoot.

The journey had been trouble free, a bit of a queue around Monmouth and some slow traffic on the M4 between Newport and Cardiff were the only slight trouble spots. Carmarthen, and my hotel car park  were arrived in just after 1pm, it was time to explore. I’d done my research and discovered that the town itself, while not unattractive, didn’t have an awful lot about it to hold the tourists attention for too long. An impressive County Hall, a small castle ruin, and the River Towy were about as picturesque as it got. The town centre was fine, busy, and while not excatly rammed with pubs, it had enough to keep me entertained.

The Queens Hotel, Yr Hen Dderwen, my residence for the night The Boars Head, The Coracle Tavern and The Mansel Arms all provided suitable libation, none of which though were overly populated. A number of Irish Rugby fans were in town, they were clearly stopping en route to the Millenium Stadium for the following days game against Canada in the World Cup.

After a little rest late afternoon, it was soon time to make the short walk through the town centre to Richmond Park. The home of Carmarthen Town is very much a town centre ground, easily accessible with plenty of car parking. It’s a tidy venue, but not a venue with much character. A large black and gold seated stand adorns one side, while opposite is the two storey club house which offers a glass fronted viewing galary for the ‘corporate’ spectator!

Behind both goals are flat standing areas, albeit one of them has the club shop located, which is sight to behold. Built in the style of a ghetto blaster, the appearance was somewhat more interesting than the contents!

A healthy crowd of over 400 had made an appearance, the best of the season for what is effectively a local derby against West Coast rivals Aberystwyth. Included in the crowd was Colin Picken and his wife, and it was Colin who I spoke to about this very game at my first match of the season at Hall Road Rangers. I managed to catch up briefly with Colin at half time and chew the fat.

But, chew the fat about the game we didn’t because it was awful. A lot of huff and puff, but very little in terms of quality and goal mouth action. The second half did improve a little though, and after Aberystwyth took the lead, it was pretty clear that Carmarthen were completely bereft of ideas as to how to break down the resolute visitors defence.

Two late goals gave the scoreline a pretty flattering look, but in all fairness Aber were the deserved winners because quite simply they took the chances that came their way.

It was back to one of the pubs after the game to watch the dying embers of the England v Fiji game in the World Cup, a few inebriated Welsh Rugby fans were insitu, making a spectacle of themselves, and while stood at the bar I had a little encounter with one of them. A chap carrying an inflatable sheep came over to me, eyes going in different directions, this, I thought, could go any numbers of ways....

“Do you want a photo with me and my sheep?” was his request?

Before I had time to answer, he had his arm around my shoulders and a blow up sheep was wedged between us, I looked up and saw another boyo taking our photograph. Quite clearly, I am never going to get a copy of this photo, and to be honest I don’t especially want it to see the light of day, so why he asked me if I wanted a photo with him and his sheep is anyones guess. So a bit like the inflatable sheep, it was clearly for his own personal use only!

But as the aforementioned gentleman, and his sheep, left the pub, he burst into song..

“And we were singing, Hymns and Arias......”

Retro - Billingham Synthonia 2 Ryton & Crawcrook Albion 0 (Northern League Division Two - 2015-16)

12th August 2015

Billingham Synthonia  2  Ryton & Crawcrook Albion  0 (Northern League Division Two)

Little known fact time – Billingham Synthonia are the only club in the World to be named after an agricultural fertiliser!

The ‘Synthonia’ part of their name is anyway, in the sense that it is a contraction of Synthetic Ammonia, a product made by ICI and a company the club has had close links with.

I’m no chemist, but while the name Synthonia does sound quite nice, I should imagine the substance itself is far from pleasant, wearing gloves, goggles and a face mask is probably a pre-requisite of dealing with the stuff. But then we are in Middlesbrough, the home of the ‘Smog Monsters’ as they are affectionately referred to by their fellow North East rivals, a City where chemicals, heavy industry and probably a fair degree of noxious fall out was once commonplace.

For some bizarre reason Rach was happy for me to go out for another evening of football, and whereas the game at West Auckland the night before was an hour away, I could make it to Billingham in around 45 minutes so not feel quite so far away from them, certainly not like I had done on the Tuesday when all I wanted to do in the end was get back. That said, when the fixtures for the Northern League came out, this was always on the radar and the Tuesday only entered into the equation at the last minute, so unless she had put her foot down, this was always going to happen anyway.

I was really curious about this one, I recall Billingham Synthonia from my early days of becoming interested in non-league football. Obviously the quirky name helped, but also, I recall from seeing pictures in directories and guide books that they had a simply awesome stand at the ground, that still remains, and is considered one of the iconic landmarks of non-league football, not only in the North East, but in the Country itself.

The journey was a simple one, back up the A174 to the A19 and then up a couple of junctions to the Billingham exit. From there it’s simply across a few roundabouts and the ground sits nicely on the left hand side of Central Drive. The dwellings in the locality are synonymous with the kind of housing you would expect in an area associated with heavy industry, and while old and somewhat tired, it certainly didn’t feel intimidating or by any means rough. Just traditional, honest, working class areas, in the shadow of the huge industrial landscape that sprawls along the North bank of the Tees into Middlesbrough.

Once inside, the size of that famous old stand hits you full in the face, what a magnificent structure it is. It straddles the full length of the pitch, and it’s the only form of spectator accommodation at the ground, while underneath lies the huge ‘Synners Bar’ the dressing rooms and the tea bar. The centre of the stand is taken up with seats, while either flank is terraced with crush barriers. The paddock below is also standing but sloped rather than terraced. It is truly a magnificent sight.

The pitch itself was in magnificent shape, and on a lovely night, with shadows being cast across the surface, it was one of those alter-idyllic settings for watching a game of football. Not your typical Porthmadog type mountainous scenery, but a harsh yet beautiful venue with surroundings that conjured up similar feelings, but in a totally different way. People laughed at me when I went to Runcorn Town and talked about the sheer beauty of a ground set amongst Oil Refinery’s, well this was similar, not quite as hemmed in by the industry as Runcorn, but compensated by the fact that the stand itself felt almost like an extension, or indeed a monument to the nearby steelworks.

Sometimes you forget you have gone to watch a football match, so engrossed in the venue you become, but I had, and it was to be a shock to the system for the Synners as it was their first home game in the Second Division of the Northern League since the 1986-87 campaign, having been relegated at the end of last season.

The Synners have historically been one of the top teams in the Northern League, but my thoughts are that when teams with such strong links to the local industry, as Synthonia have, find that economic times are getting tough, it gets harder for them as the industry that once supported them ceases to do so, or certainly to the level it once did. Furthermore, as that industry employed a big chunk of their support, and they fell on hard times personally or indeed moved away, the support base erodes.

All in all, a once big name, if now just that, a big name, because on the pitch they are miles away from where they once were, winning Championships and hosting league clubs in the FA Cup. It’s a shame, but times move on and the ground remains perhaps the only semblance of any authority and prowess the club once had in the Northern League.

The game wasn’t a patch on the previous evening’s entertainment. Synthonia beat visiting Ryton 2-0 at pretty much a canter, it wasn’t a great spectacle, but it was a case of job done for the home side. I would suggest a crowd of just over 100 was in attendance, and that after the club were pretty active with their Social Media based marketing in terms of trying to boost the gate by admitting children for free.

They do retain a hard core support though, who wear the shirts and the scarves, and in fairness they do take pride in their facilities, as everywhere was clean and tidy, but from reading the programme you can just see how close the club came in the summer to going out of existence. The previous Chairman decided to call it a day, and for a while the club had no direction and it seemed a new leader was not going to be forthcoming. However, one did, a management team was installed and now at least some stability has been restored, so perhaps getting back to former glories on the pitch isn’t really the number one priority right now, just having a club to support is more important.

Clubs like Billingham Sythonia, and grounds like Central Avenue are part of the fabric of amateur and latterly, semi-professional football in this Country. What makes it doubly hard is being located in the industrial North East, once a hot bed, it is now an area that is economically depressed and in some areas, socially deprived, so you do wonder what the future holds for clubs like them.

But for now, that wonderful old structure remains in all its glory, I suspect though, it won’t be around forever. But then again, maybe if the demand for Synthetic Ammonia spirals……..

Retro - Hartlepool United 2 Morecambe 0 (Football League Division Two - 2015-16)

8th August 2015

Hartlepool United  2  Morecambe  0 (Football League Division Two)

No more than a couple of times in a season an opportunity presents itself whereby I can knock another Football League ground of the list.

A long time planned holiday in Staithes meant that one of the very few League grounds in the North could be ticked off, but it meant a bit of luck falling my way with the fixtures. I’ve only got Carlisle, Morecambe, Blackpool, Burnley and Hartlepool to do in the North, and with all bar Hartlepool being on the West side, I had one chance at it!

As luck would have it, opening day of the season and they were at home, tickets were sorted over the phone, just a case now of finding something to keep Rachael and George entertained in the morning!

My knowledge of Hartlepool is minimal, I did drive through it in my student days en route to Seaton Carew with my old mates Craig and Suzy, but it don’t recall it being too appealing a place to visit. That said, a quick look on the web and it became clear that the refurbished Hartlepool Marina, adjacent to the ground, was the place to go in Hartlepool, in fact, to be fair, it was the only place to go in Hartlepool!

And a very nice place it was too, with a museum, exhibitions, film shows and the chance to wander round HMS Trincomalee. It didn’t start well though, George decided to put is head into the stocks so he could have his photo taken, except the holes were not designed for heads, they were designed for arms and legs…yes, the old adage about what goes in must come out, failed him!

Panic set it, George’s head was stuck, I tried to lift the stocks but they wouldn’t separate, George was getting a bit distressed, as was Rach, she asked me to get help. I found a Pirate, who was very helpful, and he calmly eased his head out, but being a Pirate he didn’t do it quietly, he gave a running commentary, and by now an audience had gathered to look at the little boy who’s head was stuck in the stocks.

I was torn between concern and embarrassment, but George was ok, apart from the fact he had a couple of small scratches on his forward where indeed ‘X’ did mark the spot! He was a bit quiet afterwards, I could tell Rach was a bit shook up, I just wish I’d taken control of the situation and eased his head out with the same minimal fuss that the Pirate had shown, then at least we wouldn’t have provided a sideshow for the visitors to the Hartlepool Maritme Experience, at least not one they were expecting!

The area around the Victoria Ground isn’t too appealing, so after parking up in a convenient Pay and Display we made our way to the seats in the family section, it was a beautiful day and I have to say the ground was quite a nice one. We sat to the right hand end of the Cyril Knowles Main Stand, whereas a taller, albeit not full length stand was opposite with paddock style terracing in front. Behind the goal to our right was the away end, and that was all seated, while behind the opposite goal was covered terracing.

The atmosphere was very good, the more vocal Hartlepool element stood in the paddock, and positioned themselves as near to the away fans as they could get, not that I would imagine too many visiting fans pack out the away end very often. Morecambe bought a couple of hundred with them and made plenty of noise, but I shouldn’t imagine too many will bring much more, probably the likes of Carlisle and York, maybe even Portsmouth.

As a club, I’ve always been quite interested in their history, not least because the great Mr Clough started his managerial career their before he went on to Derby County. But another quirk with them is the fact that over the past fifty years they have had three different names.

They started out as Hartlepools United, but then dropped the ‘s’ and indeed the ‘United’ to become plain old Hartlepool. It appears this was due to some changing of boundaries in the town, but in 1977 they added the ‘United’ back again and Hartlepool United they remain.

Otherwise, the clubs history has really been one of surviving, and indeed remaining in the Football League. Along with Rochdale and Halifax Town they have had to endure the most re-election campaigns prior to automatic promotion and relegation was put in place. In May 1984 they recorded a home crowd of just 740 for a game against Stockport County.

Moving to more recent times, at one stage last season they looked doomed to drop out of the league, and after losing a home FA Cup tie to Blyth Spartans of the Evo-Stik League, the future looked bleak. But a strong late run, saw them ease out of the relegation zone and consign both Tranmere Rovers and Cheltenham Town to the Conference.

Most famous fan, Jeff Stelling, was a happy man, and then in the Summer it was all change with new owners coming on board, record season ticket sales of over 3,000, and a renewed optimism under Ronnie Moore.

They played well, taking a first half lead through Billy Paynter, and then a second goal in the second period came via Rakish Bingham. Morecambe had their chances though, the woodwork denied them on more than one occasion and indeed I don’t ever recall a team having the ball in the oppositions penalty area as much as they did, without actually scoring.

In the end though, Hartlepool took their chances, and on that basis deserved the win, and while I’m not sure they will be a promotion contender this season, I don’t think they are going to have too many worries about the trap door.

4,289 paid to watch it, a considerable difference from the dark days of May 1984.

The get away was easy, and soon we were on our way out of Hartlepool and on the A19 towards base camp just North of Whitby. It had been quite a day, not least due to the fact that George had to be rescued by a Pirate on the Trincomalee, for that reason alone, Hartlepool United and league ground number 73 will live long in the memory!

Retro - Limerick 3 Sligo Rovers 2 (League of Ireland Premier Division - 2015-16)

1^st August 2015

Limerick  3  Sligo Rovers  2 (League of Ireland – Premier Division)

It was a mere pipedream back in 2005 when I first crossed the water and watched Derry City play at the Brandywell.

The League of Ireland, with its two divisions, looked an immense task to complete, but, over time I’ve managed to chip away at it, and barring a couple of years where I abstained from visiting the emerald isle, I’ve usually managed to knock off two or three grounds a season.

I was helped somewhat by the fact that over the past few seasons the league have lost clubs in the shape of Monaghan United, Salthill Devon and Mervue United, but, having ticked off Athlone Town and Waterford United last season, it left me with just two grounds to get to in 2015 to achieve my own Holy Grail.

Cabinteely, the newcomers to the league, was nailed down in March, and that just left Limerick and their new stadium at Markets Field to complete the set. Myself and Rachael decided to hatch a plan!

Back in December when we talked about our Summer holidays, we planned to have a trip together to Southern Ireland because Rach had never been and I was desperate to show her why I had such an affinity for the place. It was a case of checking the fixtures, and if it all came together right, we could get in the Limerick v Sligo Rovers game on the Saturday, doubled up with the Cork City v Bohemians game on the Friday, assuming of course that Cork didn’t advance too far in the Europa League.

It was going to be quite a trip, a flight from Liverpool to Cork on the Thursday, two nights on Leeside and then a road trip to Limerick on the Saturday, followed by Galway on the Sunday before flying back to Liverpool from Knock on the Monday.

It was a trip we both couldn’t wait for and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Arriving in Cork on the Thursday we picked up the car and headed down to the beautiful harbour of Kinsale, known as the culinary capital of Ireland, and then on the Friday we made the long drive out through West Cork via Bantry, right the way down the Wild Atlantic Way to Mizen Head.

The game on Friday night at Turners Cross saw a hugely impressive Cork side beat Bohemians 4-0, and then on the Saturday we made the way North to Limerick, calling in for some lunch at Adare, also known as the prettiest village in Ireland, and we weren’t going to argue with that!

Limerick itself isn’t the nicest of places, in fact it does have a somewhat chequered reputation. Known in the Irish media as ‘Stab City’, it is famed for its gangland activity and the subsequent knock on effect it has had on the region and its population. Parts of the City are nice, the King John’s Castle, the Milk Market, and indeed the impressive Thomond Park, but walking around the City Centre before the game it just felt very different to Cork. I’m not suggesting it felt threatening in any way, but you just felt that you didn’t really want to be hanging around late at night.

Markets Field is a short walk from the City Centre, and while not a scenic walk by any means, it was straightforward enough and we found a pub on the very edges of the Garryowen Estate which backs onto the ground. It didn’t look hugely appealing from the outside, but once inside it was clean and tidy, and the welcome, more importantly, was friendly.

Limerick didn’t start the season at Markets Field, in fact it’s been a bit of a story in terms of Limerick Football Club and grounds within the City. Back in the Sixties and right through to the early Eighties, they did in fact play at Markets Field, before leaving the stadium under somewhat controversial circumstances. Their next place of residence was on the Southern edges of the City in Rathbane, playing at the uninspiring Hogan Park. They left Rathbane in the mid 2000’s and moved to Jackman Park which was another unexciting venue right next door to the railway station, a ground where I saw them play Wexford Youths. They then spent a season at Thomond Park, which was a nice idea, but with such small crowds in a huge stadium, and with costs spiraling, the move back to Markets Field couldn’t come soon enough.

They had to start the season at Jackman Park as the new ground, which had lain derelict for many years, was developed to the required standard, but then finally in May, they made the move and saw a crowd in excess of two thousand turn up for the first game.

Crowds have dipped somewhat since then as the novelty has worn off, it’s probably also not helped by the fact that Limerick sat bottom of the league with just five points and no wins to their name either. Relegation does indeed look like an inevitability, but they are finally back at their spiritual home.

The ground itself is not going to win awards for aesthetic pleasure. If anything it is a somewhat grey and functional structure, dominated by a large main stand which has been completely refurbished. A huge wall dominates the perimeter of the ground, and other than a temporary seated stand behind the goal at the Garryowen End, the rest is hard standing. From the back of the Main Stand you can see across the City to the right and then directly in front of you is a giant factory.

The game itself while not anywhere near as high on quality as the night before in Cork, was equally as absorbing. Limerick played like a team with renewed confidence and scored twice in the first half through Vinne Faherty.

You did fear the worst when Rob Lehane pulled a goal back for Sligo just after the break, but then within ten minutes Dean Clarke had restored the two goal advantage. Sligo made it 3-2 in the 78^th minute through Gary Armstrong and that then resulted in them laying siege to the Limerick goal.  Some last ditch defending and several fine saves from Freddy Hall, plus a nerve jangling five minutes of added time simply increased the drama and tension, but the Super Blues hung on for their first victory of the season.

Not only was it their first victory of the season, it was also their first victory at Markets Field since 1984!  980 were present to see the historic moment.

A superb meal and a few drinks followed, before driving up to Galway the following morning and an afternoon at the famous Galway Races, which inevitably lead to a night on the brilliant Quay Street.

So, the League of Ireland is now complete, but this trip was so much more than that. It was a culmination of a dream that has taken over four years to happen for Rachael and I, and as far as I’m concerned the football and the final ‘tick’ was just one small part of it.

And that’s why, even though the League is now complete, the trips across the water are far from over.

Retro - Lowestoft Town 5 Gorleston 0 (Friendly - 2015-16)

18^th July 2015

Lowestoft Town  5  Gorleston  0 (Friendly)

Lowestoft Town Football Club has always intrigued me.

That probably started when I was a teenager and a colleague of my Dad’s gave him a huge pile of programmes from the club, dating back to the sixties. Not only that, when I first started watching Belper Town they had a manager called Evan Sutherland, who in my opinion built one of the greatest sides ever seen at Christchurch Meadow. Evan also managed Alfreton Town, Shepshed Charterhouse, and for some bizarre reason, Lowestoft Town!

In recent seasons the clubs rise, under stalwart manager Micky Chapman, has been pretty spectacular. They spent many years trundling along in the Eastern Counties League, albeit one of the bigger clubs, with one of the better grounds arousing decent support befitting a town of over 70,000 inhabitants.

But then they gained momentum, with a wee bit of financial backing thrown in!  They won promotion to the Ryman League First Division, then promotion again to the Premier Division, before finally making it to the Conference North after a couple of years of Play-Off disappointments. In between all of this they also played at Wembley in the FA Vase Final, losing to another upwardly mobile club in Kirkham & Wesham. For good measure they also reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, losing to Wrexham.

However, there is a problem with Lowestoft Town, and that becomes abundantly clear when you look at the map. Right on the border of Norfolk and Sulfolk, at the very Eastern tip of England, it really is out on a limb. When they won the Eastern Counties League, it was open to debate whether they went Ryman League, because of access to the M25, or possibly the Southern League, as technically and historically they would fit into that footprint. They went Ryman, all seemed good, but a further problem came when they made the Conference.

The Conference North and South split is a contentious one, at one stage Bishops Stortford were in the Conference North, and that was due to the imbalance of clubs forcing the boundary between the two leagues further South. When Lowestoft arrived in town, it was almost a case of neither league being a great fit because when you look at the sheer mileage involved, it was staggering. For example, is Lowestoft to Barrow any worse a journey than Lowestoft to Truro?

They went North, again mainly due to the balance of clubs, they could have left Bishops Stortford in the North and put Lowestoft in the South, but they chose not to. Lowestoft were not happy, Micky Chapman was unhappy because he had signed players on the basis they would be in the South, and we had the bizarre situation whereby the local derby for Lowestoft would be Boston United, 108 miles away! That is even more bizarre when you discover that as the crow flies, The Hague is actually nearer to Lowestoft!

They were tipped to get relegated, but they survived reasonably comfortably, however, it took its toll. They were fined after arriving late for the opening game of the season at Chorley, and after clocking up nearly 9,000 miles over the season, Chapman decided he could do it no more, an era was well and truly over for a man who had been involved with the club for over 30 years. When you think about it, setting off at 11am for a midweek game at Stalybridge Celtic, in semi professional football, is a bit much by anyone’s standards!

Yet I was intrigued, and over the years I’ve always kept on top of the Conference North in terms of visiting the grounds, but decided to shelve Lowestoft last season because I just felt they would either be relegated anyway, or they would be moved South at the end of the season. Neither happened, so I didn’t really have an excuse now. Pre-season seemed a good time to do it, nice weather, and also the game against Gorleston offered free admission, so costs wise it would probably be the cheapest time I could ever do it!

By the time I’d arrived in Lowestoft, almost four hours after setting off, I felt nothing but sympathy for the players, officials and supporters of the club. The journey for me, while relatively trouble free and scenic, was as tedious as it could possibly get, long flat roads, single carriageways, lorries, tractors, caravans, you name it! Having never gone further East than Norwich in my life before, it was nice to see a different part of the Country, but it hit home to me when I passed Kings Lynn and saw that it was still nearly 80 miles and over an hour and half away. They have Alfreton Town away second game of the season, and if travelling by bus for a midweek game, I reckon it will be 2.30am when they get back, and that’s one of the three or four nearer fixtures.

Once in Lowestoft I had a look around, I went through the town which to be fair was unspectacular, and dropped down through the industrial area to Ness Point, the furthest Easterly point of the Country, and it was there that I discovered Holland was actually nearer than Boston. Lowestoft is a seaside resort and has nice beaches, while the journey in along Yarmouth Road displayed some superb properties, but my overall view was that the town was one of real contrasts. It has its very nice bits, but it also has bits that are far from nice, and some of the areas around the football ground would fit into that category. It looks as though it has suffered economically, which is not unusual, but it has also suffered with its immigration issues, as typically happens in ports.

That said, once at Crown Meadow, the ground is smart, tidy, and the welcome was very friendly. A beer festival was taking place in the clubhouse which was dragging the crowds in, while on a beautiful day, the pitch was bathed in bright sunlight. The old main stand at Crown Meadow is a cracker, but other than a bit of covered terracing to its left hand side, and a very small piece of cover behind the top goal, it’s flat standing all around.

I liked it, but other than the main stand which is a somewhat iconic one in non-league football, it perhaps lacked a bit of character, now that may seem harsh, but it didn’t give you the same buzz as perhaps walking into Y Traeth did the previous week.

The game appears one sided if you look at the result, but the first half wasn’t a huge mismatch to be

fair. Lowestoft went in 2-0 up, but if Gorleston, who operate three leagues lower, had got someone who could finish, it might have been a bit closer.

Gorleston tired in the second period and conceded three good goals to give it a bit of a flattering look, but fair play to the visitors who battled hard and tried to play football. It was difficult as it always is in pre-season games to judge how the respective teams will do, but Lowestoft under Ady Gallagher now, should be ok. Gorleston for a step 5 side should be more than ok, they’ve not been a million miles away in recent seasons and I expect the same again.

I took a slightly different route back, rather than going via Great Yarmouth as I did on the way in, I went via the beautiful Oulton Broad and Beccles, and while slightly more scenic, it didn’t make much difference time wise. A van fire on the Norwich bypass slowed me down, and then the obligatory bus and horse box on the Newark to Mansfield road was hugely tedious. It took around four hours again, and I can’t recall ever being so glad to be getting home after a football match!

While a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and a level of curiosity now satisfied, I can look back on it and think to myself that I’m glad I won’t have to be doing it again, and that is where you start to have nothing but admiration for this football club, they do it and more every other week.

Lowestoft Town Football Club – I hold you in nothing but the highest regard!